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We have been very vocal against the new ESN network, Tetra is proven and works very well, the benefits to moving over to a 4G network are attractive, but will it stand-up to a major incident? Will the network be robust enough when there are thousands of communications in a located area? These concerns have now been picked up by a commons committee, read more belowâ¦.

AnÂ inquiry has revealed deep concerns about the coverage and contracting of a new Â£4 billion national emergency radio system.

A Commonsâ Public Accounts CommitteeÂ reportÂ released this month criticised the Home Office for its handling of the proposed the Emergency Services Network, or ESN.

Plans to deploy the ânot yet provenâ emergency radio system by December 2019 âwould not be metâ, the committee said. The committee also criticised the Home Office for mishandling contracts talks for ESN and failing to plan for delays, that could cost nearly Â£500 million alone.

âGood communications can make the difference between life and death for both emergency services personnel and the public but the technology ESN will rely on is not yet proven.â

Across the UK, 105 ambulance, fire and police services are expected to switch from their existing Airwave Solutions radio system to ESN by December 2019.

Unlike the ageing Airwave network, ESN will operate on an existing retail 4G network rather than a dedicated emergency radio network.

However, the committee said forcing emergency services to share a network with the public had not been attempted at scale.

The approach relied on much improved network coverage across the UK, including on the London Underground, and new technology to prioritise emergency services over other network users.

âBringing together all the different elements to form an end-to-end system and scaling up these solutions and testing them adequately will be very challenging.â

The government is expected to spend Â£1.2 billion developing ESN, Â£1.4 billion running down Airwave, and further Â£2.6 billion operating ESN until 2032.

The contract with Airwaves, which was bought by Motorola last year, expires in December 2019. The committee said extending this contract, which will almost certainly be necessary given expected delays, will cost an additional Â£475 million a year.

In 2015, Motorola and EE won the user services and networks contracts respectively for ESN.

The committee also criticised the Home Office for not maintaining âcompetitive pressureâ while awarding the contracts and leaving the winning bidders in a âvery strong positionâ when the contract comes up for renewal in 2023.

The committee recommended the Home Officer test the new network coverage rigorously, improve its tendering, budget and plan for an Airwave contract extension and reassess its timeline for switching to the new system.

âIt must take responsibility for convincing services to switch to ESN but also be clear at what point it will mandate the switchover.â

The Home Office was told to report back to the committee by September this year.

VR is the Buzz word for this year, every technology company clambering to get their headset out on to the market. Much of the market needs to catch-up though, the power of home computing needs to improve and removing the inevitable extra cabling and wires that come with current headsets. Luckily this article is about the future technology of VR headsets, see what we can expect as this technology grows.

If you want to use one of today’s major VR headsets, whether the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, or the PS VR, you have to accept the fact that there will be an illusion-shattering cable that tethers you to the small supercomputer that’s powering your virtual world.

But researchers from MITâs Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) may have a solution inÂ MoVr, a wireless virtual reality system. Instead of using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to transmit data, the research teamâs MoVR system uses high-frequency millimeter wave radio to stream data from a computer to a headset wirelessly at dramatically faster speeds than traditional technology.

There have been a variety of approaches to solving this problem already. Smartphone-based headsets such asÂ Google’s Daydream ViewÂ and Samsung’s Gear VR allow for untethered VR by simply offloading the computational work directly to a phone inside the headset. Or the entire idea ofÂ VR backpacks, which allow for a more mobile VR experience by building a computer that’s more easily carried. But there are still a lot of limitations to either of these solutions.

THE MOVR PROTOTYPE SIDESTEPS TETHERED VR ISSUES

Latency is the whole reason a wireless solution hasn’t worked so far. VR is especially latency-sensitive, along with the huge bandwidth requirements that VR needs to display the level of high-resolution video required for virtual reality to work. But the MIT team claims that the millimeter wave signals can transmit fast enough to make a wireless VR headset feasible.

The issue with using millimeter wave technology is that the signal needs a direct line of sight, and fares poorly when it encounters any obstacles. MoVR gets around this by working as a programmable mirror that can direct the direction of the signal to the headset even while itâs moving to always make sure the signal is transmitting directly to the headset’s receivers.

For now, the MoVR is simply a prototype, with the team hoping to further shrink down the system to allow for multiple wireless headsets in one room without encountering signal interference. But even as a proof-of-concept, it’s an interesting perspective on how virtual reality could one day work.

We take it for granted that when we move around the country our mobile phones connect to the nearest mast, or we go abroad and our phones automatically connect to the network, with tetra, this is not as easy, but this article is about a test that Sepura completed connecting two TETRA networks in Norway and Sweden, interesting stuff.

Sepura radios have successfully participated in interoperability trials for the worldâs first cross-border TETRA communication system, linking RAKEL and NÃ¸dnett, Sweden and Norwayâs public safety networks.

More than 350 first responders were involved in the trials, which took place in MerÃ¥ker, close to the Swedish border, in a crisis response exercise involving public safety users from both countries.

The cross-border system utilises TETRA Inter-System Interface (ISI) functionality to connect networks together, effectively allowing users to roam to another network. This allows first responders to use their radios in both countries â vital for smooth collaboration in emergency situations.

The initiative to strengthen co-operation between national emergency services started in 2013 with the EU-funded Inter-System Interoperability project, designed to improve the ability to respond to natural disasters and security threats. The RAKEL and NÃ¸dnett networks are scheduled to be ready for bi-national operational use in early 2017.

Sepuraâs STP9000 hand-portable radios and SRG3900 mobile radios were used by both Swedish and Norwegian emergency services during the exercise, although all Sepura radios â including the new flagship SC20 range â meet the technical requirements of the ISI system.

âThis is one of the most advanced multinational radio communication projects in Europe,â said Tariq Haque, Product Manager for Sepura.

âAfter two yearsâ development, bi-national interoperability has become a reality, bringing cross-border mission critical communications to Sweden and Norway.

âWe are extremely pleased to have played a part in this ground-breaking event.â

Back in the day, around 2006, the Heathrow and Gatwick radio systems were the envy of many, many businesses, a cutting-edge Motorola analogue trunking system with individual and group setup, that could broadcast messages out across the site or talk to individual radios, something that is taken for granted these days with our digital systems. The Gatwick system has been upgraded and been given the digital touch.

US-based Motorola Solutions, along with its authorised channel partner Servicom, has debuted its new digital mobile radio (DMR) system, Mototrbo Capacity Max, at London Gatwick Airport.

Designed to provide enhancedÂ voice and data communications, the newly installed system connects 1,300 peopleÂ in the airport’sÂ airside and groundside teams.

Mototrbo Capacity Max will also double the capacity of Gatwickâs current analogue network.

Various applications, such as TRBOnet PLUS and iBeacon, were given along with Mototrbo Capacity Max to improve its data performance.

TRBOnet PLUSÂ is a dispatcher application thatÂ allows voice recording, mapping and event logging in the control room, while theÂ iBeacon indoor positioning application sends alerts to individual radios based on location.

Gatwick Airport IT project manager Simon Telling said: âWe chose Motorola Solutionsâ Mototrbo Capacity Max system not only for how resilient and secure it is, but because of the flexibility it offers us now and into the future.

âWe have experienced significant growth over the past decade and we are now approaching the limits of our previous analogue system.

âMigrating to scalable, digital communications will double our capacity and bring new capabilities that will help us improve efficiency and safety for staff, retail partners and passengers across the airport.â

The new Motorola solution will also enable Gatwickâs central controllers to send off the closest employee to an incident, saving time.

The airport recorded more than 4.6 million in passenger traffic in July.

Communication is the key to any business being successful, but communication comes in lots of different forms, understanding the right and proper way of communicating will see you through in your career very well. This article is a very good overview of what communication can mean to you.

As a professional, you certainly know the importance of effective communication. Being an effective communicator is not only about the message, itâs also about the mode of communication and the opportunities you provide for feedback.

Your inability to get the point across thwarts your efforts at effective communication. You canât just send out a company-wide email and assume everything is copacetic if no one replies. The truth may be that you were ineffective as a communicator, and people didnât understandâor even pay attentionâto your message.

There are some things you might be doing to undermine your effectiveness as a communicator, and you may not even know youâre doing them. Here are some communication pitfalls you should try to avoid:

Over-Communicating

Youâre not an effective communicator if you just repeat the same message over and over. If you want to remind your employees about an important deadline, sending out a single reminder would be appropriate. Sending out multiple reminders, however, is overkillâand possibly even an insult to your employeesâ ability to remember information.Â Redundancy in your messagesÂ is not only unnecessary, but itâs also counterproductive and a waste of timeâfor youÂ andÂ your employees. Whenever you send out communication on an ongoing subject, make sure it offers added information and is not merely a reiteration of the material you already shared.

Relying Too Much on One Channel (Or the Wrong Channel)

Todayâs technology makes it possible to communicate in many different ways. While itâs easy to do, you shouldnât get stuck in one particular communication mode. There are so many digital communication channels that work really well these days. Email is a popular tactic and can work well, but people are inundated with email today and often suffer from âin-box overload.â So, you may want to consider using a combination of tactics for impactful news, such as the announcement of a merger or a high-level addition to the company management.

Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news, but it doesnât help the situation to be vague or unclear. You should try to deliver important news in personâand the more complicated or easily misunderstood the message is likely to be, the more it makes sense for you to sit down across from the personâor teamâto convey the message. A direct, in-person approach adds an important component to your communication: The ability to observe othersâÂ facial expressions and body language, which allows you to ensure your message has been understood.

Ignoring Nonverbal Cues

If you listen only to a person words and ignore their nonverbal cues your direct communication may not be successful.Â Research conducted by Dr. Albert MehrabianÂ indicates that 55 percent of our intent is delivered through nonverbal elements, such as facial expressions, gestures, and postures. If employees seem to express agreement with a new policy,Â non verbal cuesÂ such as hunched shoulders, crossed arms, and lack of eye contact may indicate that you still have some work to do in order to get buy-in from your team.

Not Being Open

Secrecy in the workplace oftenÂ erodes trust in leadership and foments gossip. By being more transparent in your communication, you foster a sense of belonging and trust. Knowledge replaces speculation, and can help reduce gossip and rumors.

Not Listening

Rememberâcommunication is a two-way street. Soliciting feedback is one of the greatest ways for you to know what employees are truly thinking. If you want to improve your communication skills, heed this advice:Â Speak less, listen more. After youâve had the opportunity to listen, you can fine-tune your communication skills to be more effective than before.

On paper, connecting walkie talkie radios to a Wifi networkis is the most obvious method of controlling and communicating within a business. But the reality is that there arenât many radios on the market that have the capability to do this and many wifi networks arenât robust enough to manage lots of radios, this article predicts that this technology will be a growth market, we will wait and see.

WiFi enabled LTE small cell gateway is a type of a base station. Base station uses cellular wireless network for communicating with mobile phones or terminals. Base station connects mobile phones to a wireless carrier network and offers local coverage for a wireless network. The area of coverage varies from several miles to few city blocks. Each base station is typically owned by one carrier or wireless company and gives coverage only for that company’s network. It may also offer roaming coverage for other networks in case carriers have agreement for roaming and technology is compatible. Base station comprises of an electronic cabinet which connected by means of cables to a group of antennas. The antennas may be mounted on an existing structure or on dedicated tower structure including top of a building, church steeple or smoke-stack and water tower.

In radio communications, base station refers to wireless communications station implemented at a fixed location and used to communicate as wireless telephone system including cellular GSM or CDMA cell site, part push-to-talk two-way radio system, terrestrial trunked radio and two-way radio. A single location often operates several base stations owned by a different carrier. Smaller types of base stations or small cells include picocells, femtocells and microcells. WiFi enabled LTE small cell gateway is promising network element. A wide variety of base station deployments are in a small cell configuration. It has WiFi interface at end-use device and LTE interface at the carrier network.

Small cell is low-powered radio access nodes (operator-controlled) that operate in carrier-grade Wi-Fi (unlicensed) and licensed spectrum. Small cells normally have a range from 10 to numerous hundred meters. Small cell base stations are expected to play vital role in expanding the capacity of wireless networks due to increasing mobile data traffic. Mobile operators are increasingly looking forward to this technology in order to meet the rising demands for data, video and application access generated due to smart phones and other devices. Small cells aid mobile service that detect presence, interact wand connect with existing networks. Small cells offer increased quality of service and flexibility at an affordable cost. Small cell infrastructure implantation is an environmentally friendly approach as it reduces the number of cell towers and offers a cleaner signal using less power.

Rising numbers of wireless carriers or companies are taking dedicated interest in this industry owing to the proliferation of embedded WiFi features in fixed and mobile devices. Growing demand for more advanced handheld devices such as smart-phones and tablets is expected to create demand for technologies with high internet speed. This in turn, is expected to drive the growth of WiFi enabled LTE small cell gateways.

Is this is a real problem? Do you use a set of headphones whilst gaming? This article has information on how damaging wearing gaming headphones is and what the future impact might be. Read this, examine how you use your headphones and get on with lifeâ¦

According to the Q1 2016 GameTrack report, 18.8 million people between the ages of 6 and 64 game and those between 11 and 64 spend an average 8.8 hours per week doing so.

Â Amongst Gamers the largest group is 15 to 24 year old males who are most at risk of permanently damaging their hearing. This group spends the most amount of time gaming and are also the most attracted to the âloudâ games. Furthermore a majority of them live in a shared accommodation and use headphones so as not to disturb others. This group also the most likely to take part in other activities which can be harmful to their hearing such as listening to music through headphones, going to gigs and festivals, and nightclubs.

Â Unfortunately the price of their enjoyment could well be significant and permanent hearing damage. Whilst there is clearly a risk to the Gamer, it could transfer as a liability to the games companies in the form of legal action relating to their duty of care.

Â The first significant step is to make Gamers aware of how much sound exposure they are experiencing and what they can do to prevent hearing damage, because hearing damage is permanent

Â Hearing damage is caused by the combination of how long you listen (time), how loud you listen (volume), and what you listen to (energy content). The combination of these three factors create a âsound doseâ, if the dose is too high it starts to damage your hearing.

Â The UNâs World Health Organisation and hearing conservation organisations are increasing awareness of the risks and advise users to restrict their daily sound dose to less than 85dB average over 8 hours.

Â Gamers who use headphones currently have no realistic way to indicate what level they are listening at and how much of their daily sound dose they have used. The answer will be to provide them with an intelligent sound dose measurement app or software, giving them their individual sound dose exposure information and guidance, with optional protection, so that for the first time they can make informed decisions about their hearing health.

Effective communication is crucial to the success of any business. Poor communication can easily lead to the collapse of any business regardless of size. If youâre running a huge business where keeping in touch with your staff is important, then you must put in place a very efficient communication system. A system that is not only efficient but also cost effective. These two factors are the reason 2 way radios are popular with modern businesses. A 2 way radio is a communication device that can both transmit and receive signal. It allows users using the same frequency to have a conversation at minimal or zero cost.

The fact that a 2 way radio can only receive and send information at a set frequency improves your business’ safety. You can keep the frequency a secret such that only certified individuals can access crucial information. The radio also allows you to create several channels for specific groups. This option allows you to call individual groups whenever the need arises. For example, if the information is meant for security department, it will not be necessary to have it broadcasted to other groups.

Its broad geographical coverage is another reason you should have this communication gadget. If your business Covers a vast geographic area such as a farm or a construction site, this is the perfect mode of communication to employ. It can also be an effective security monitoring system if it’s well managed and utilized. Combining this system with GPS and the CCTV can significantly improve matters of security for your business.

But who can use the 2 way radio system?

A 2 way radio is one of the most user friend and flexible communication gadgets. Any firm can use it regardless of size. The radio is indeed the perfect model for a business that is struggling with geographical coverage challenges. It is ideal for shift workers, security staff, production line inspectors, farm workers, construction sites, shop watch and the list is endless. Anyone can use it. It only requires a little bit training on how to receive or to send a signal, and the user will be good to go.

Advantages of 2 way radios

One thing that stands out from this system is the reduced cost of communication- the cost is almost zero-rated compared to the other systems such as mobile phones. A 2 way radio is also very simple to use since you simply press the button to start talking. This speed can be crucial in cases of emergency compared to mobile phones where you will be needed to dial several buttons to make a call.

With this radio system, you can talk to multiple users at once- this is not possible with mobile phones. The gadget is built to military specs -the radio can be used in wet conditions and can withstand even a drop on the concrete surface. 2 way radio is one of the devices that can work in all areas of your business where mobile phones donât work. The last but not the list of the advantage is that the radio stays on site, and thus different shifts can conveniently share it.

Key questions before installing a 2 way radio system

There are several questions that you must get clear answers to before you install a 2 way radio system. First, the area that the radio system is going to be used must be known. This will determine the power of the transmitter needed to cover that area. The number of people projected to use the radios should be the next question. The answer gives the number of radios required. The last question should be your budget. You must purchase what you can afford without compromising on the quality. With these questions answered, then you can have the most efficient 2 way radio communication system for your business.

It is surprising how in a crowded, noisy environment you can still create your small world. This is one of the most amazing changes that have been made by headphones. Small devices with a big impact on the world are the only way to describe headphones. In the past, the only way to listen to music was through devices that allowed everyone to listen to music at the same time. With the introduction of headphones, you donât have to bother everyone with your music; you can create your space and enjoy listening to what you like directly to your ears.

How headphones have changed over time

Early headphones were mainly used for communication purposes. The birth of headphones in early 19th century was purely for communication and professional uses. It is strange how the creator of headphones Nathaniel Baldwin didnât have the musical concept in mind. The uses of headphones at this time were purely for professional uses by people in the army and also church coordination.

Discovery of stereo phones for music was a big break in the mid-19th century, the whole perspective of headphones changed from professional use and they were given a musical touch. The musical evolution changed the concept of headphones, and this gave birth to the stereo phone technology to cater for musical fanatics. This was when headphones specifically for music were created, but they were expensive.

Light weight portable headphones were discovered in the 1980s there was a big break after everything went mobile. The headphones now become lighter, and you could see youngsters carrying them around. The growth of the pop culture at this time might have had a huge impact on how people wanted to listen to their music and this made headphones grow more. The sound quality becomes better at this time.

Benefits of headphones in the modern world

Good sound quality and faithfulness is one of the main benefits of headphones. We all agree listening to music through headphones feels good compared to listening through loudspeakers. The reason for this is quite listening simply. Music from headphones has no interference from external forces and especially if you are listening to music through quality headphones.

The concentration at work is now better with headphones. With the use of headphones, it is now possible to get peace of mind and keep up concentration whilst working. It is surprising how music takes us to a new world where we can be able to reflect and focus on the work we are doing. This is the reason why you will find people working in jobs that need a high level of concentration using headphones all the time.

Peace of mind and calming stress is a major reason why many people use headphones. Music is therapeutic, and it works wonders in relieving stress and restoring peace of mind. Listening to music through external speakers is good for entertainment but not necessarily for healing. There is something special about listening to music through headphones because it brings calmness and brings back peace of mind.

Privacy is one thing that many people seek in the crowded and noisy world. If you want to maintain privacy, then you can easily escape in your headphones and get the privacy that you need. People around you will understand that you need privacy and allow you to have your solitude.

Who uses headphones?

The uses of headphones are now limitless, and they go beyond just for the sake of entertainment and communication purposes.

Music lovers get lost in their headphones for hours listening to music without interrupting the rest of the world with the type of music that they love. Using headphones, music lovers can get the sound effect that they want from the headphones through sound effect settings.

Transcribers who translate audio content into text need headphones to be able to listen to what they are typing. This is one of the most common professional use of headphones. Other people like pilots, recording artists and also the military use headphones in their job.

You can find a whole ton of walkie talkie headsets at this amazing store headsetonline .co.uk

GPS (Global Positioning System) is a network of 24 satellites placed in orbit for navigation purposes. It was invented in 1960 and positioned by the US Department of Defense for military work but later released to the public as well. GPS navigation system works 24 hours a day anywhere in the world, and is free to use. The system sends signals to navigation devices to calculate the exact location, time and speed of a vehicle, person, aircraft or water equipment. Today itâs used widely by drivers, trucking companies, and shipping firms to track their cargo and know the best route to use.

How GPS Tracking Works

There are at least four satellites available anywhere one stands on earth. All the satellites circle the earth two times a day and send signals to various areas. Any GPS receiver including mobile phones takes this signal information and calculates the userâs location.

How this method works involves calculating the difference between when the signal was sent and when it was received. This difference tells the receiver how far the satellite is, and the distance comparison of several satellites within the same area confirms the location on the electronic map.

The more satellites found within a receiver’s location, the easier it is to calculate speed, distance, and destination. At least three satellites are needed to calculate position, but a fourth satellite makes it possible to tell the speed, direction and estimated time when you are on the move.

Personal Tracking

Mobile GPS technology has made it possible to track people wherever they are. Today any phone can be tracked by the police or mobile service providers. Other mobile devices that help with tracking include jewellery such as watches, bracelets and even chips embedded in the skin.

Smartphones are also equipped with built-in GPS system that can provide the user with direction and navigation instructions. Most of these phones can tell you exactly where you are, including streets and attraction figures. They can alert you if you are going the wrong direction and give you the correct navigation.

Asset Tracking

It is so easy to track your cargo when itâs on the go. A tracking device or chip can be placed on the assets to know exactly where they are, the direction they are heading and when movement stops. Animal tracking devices are also commonly used to locate where cattle and wildlife are all the time.

Aircraft Trackers

GPS aircraft tracking is essential for both private and commercial planes. Though the primary agenda is safety and convenience, GPS works differently on the aircraft as compared to how itâs used in cars. Aircraft tracking enables traffic controllers to know the position of the plane and keep it safe when flying.

GPS also help the supervisors know when the plane will arrive and find it in the case of an accident. However, the greatest use of GPS tracker in aircraft is to ensure the pilot follows a particular path predetermined by the aircraft controller.

Vehicle Tracking

A GPS-enabled tracking device is placed on a vehicle to transmit data through cellular or satellite networks. This device will send the data to a chosen application such as NetTrack for the user to read. The tracking updates and information such as location, speed, direction and stop come in real-time.

GPS tracking system for vehicles enables people to track their cars when they are stolen, keep a tab on your business tracks and know where your child is with the car. Itâs an easy and convenient way to keep track of vehicles, be it trucks, small vehicles or fleet of buses.

GPS and Two-Way Radio Integration

Two way radios are great devices used by campers, police force, and emergency dispatch for safety, tracking, and communication. However, they have shortcomings such as lack of real-time transmission, slow updates and being unreliable. Two way radio with GPS makers such as Garmin has integrated their systems with GPS capabilities. The GPS will help to know where someone is at all times even when the device is off, update locations in real time and store data for future use. Itâs also handy in case of emergencies to get help and aid search activities.

UK Law

In the United States and most of the other developed countries, the use of GPS tracker by government authorities is limited. They must have a search warrant. Otherwise, any data found will not be admissible in court.

However, UK Law has no specific legislation on GPS trackers. The United Kingdom does recognize that some information is personal data, but it allows government surveillance without permission.